In 1794, Captain William Brown of Great Britain was the first foreigner to sail into what is now Honolulu Harbor.[5] More foreign ships followed, making the port of Honolulu a focal point for merchant ships traveling between North America and Asia.[6]

An economic and tourism boom following statehood brought rapid economic growth to Honolulu and Hawaiʻi. Modern air travel brings, as of 2007, 7.6 million visitors annually to the islands, with 62.3% entering at Honolulu International Airport.[10] Today, Honolulu is a modern city with numerous high-rise buildings, and Waikīkī is the center of the tourism industry in Hawaiʻi, with thousands of hotel rooms. The UK consulting firm Mercer, in a 2009 assessment "conducted to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments", ranked Honolulu 29th worldwide in quality of living; the survey factored in political stability, personal freedom, sanitation, crime, housing, the natural environment, recreation, banking facilities, availability of consumer goods, education, and public services including transportation.[11]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 105.1sqmi. 85.7sqmi of it is land and 19.4sqmi of it (18.42%) is water.

Climate

Honolulu experiences a tropical savanna climate (Köppen classificationAs) with a mostly dry summer season. Honolulu has lots of sunshine most of the year. Temperatures vary little throughout the months, with average high temperatures of 80–90 °F (27–32 °C) and lows of 65–75 °F (19–24 °C) throughout the year. Temperaturesrarely exceed 95 °F (35 °C), with lows in the upper 40s °F (~15 °C) occurring once or twice a year. The highest recorded temperature was 95 degrees during a heat wave in September 1998. The highest recorded temperature in the state was also recorded later that day in Ni'ihau. The lowest recorded temperature was 47 degrees in January 1932. Waters off the coast of Honolulu average 77 °F (27 °C) in the summer months and 72 °F (25 °C) in the winter months.[13]

Annual average precipitation is 18.3inches, which mainly occurs during the winter months of October through early April, with very little rainfall during the summer. Honolulu has an average of 278 sunny days and 90 wet days per year. Although Honolulu is known to have a wet and dry season, it is unnoticeable. This is mainly because light showers falls in the summer while heavier rain falls during the winter. Yet, both seasons experience the same amount of rainy days.

Although the city is situated at the tropics, hurricanes are quite rare. The last recorded hurricane that hit the city was Category 4 Hurricane Iniki in 1992. Tornadoes are also uncommon and usually hit once every 15 years. Watersprouts off the coast are somewhat more common, hitting about once every five years. [14]

Government

Peter Carlisle has served as the 13th mayor of Honolulu since October 11, 2010. The municipal offices of the City and County of Honolulu, including Honolulu Hale, the seat of the city and county, are located in the census-designated place.[15] The Hawaii state government buildings are also located in the CDP.

The Arts District Honolulu in downtown/Chinatown is on the eastern edge of Chinatown. It is a 12-block area bounded by Bethel & Smith Streets and Nimitz Highway and Beretania Street – home to numerous arts and cultural institutions. It is located within the Chinatown Historic District, which includes the former Hotel Street Vice District.[25]

The Capitol District is the eastern part of Downtown Honolulu. It is the current and historic center of Hawaii's state government, incorporating the Hawaii State Capitol, Iolani Palace, Honolulu Hale (City Hall), State Library, and the statue of King Kamehameha I, along with numerous government buildings.

Ala Moana is a district between Kakaʻako and Waikīkī and the home of Ala Moana Center, the "World's largest open air shopping center" and the largest shopping mall in Hawaii.[26] Ala Moana Center boasts over 300 tenants and is a very popular location among tourists. Also in Ala Moana is the Honolulu Design Center and Ala Moana Beach Park, the second largest park in Honolulu.

Waikīkī is the tourist district of Honolulu, located between the Ala Wai Canal and the Pacific Ocean next to Diamond Head. Numerous hotels, shops, and nightlife opportunities are located along Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenues. It is a popular location for visitors and locals alike and attracts millions of visitors every year. A majority of the hotel rooms on Oahu are located in Waikīkī.

Manoa and Makiki are residential neighborhoods located in adjacent valleys just inland of downtown and Waikīkī. Manoa Valley is home to the main campus of the University of Hawaiʻi. President Barack Obama lived in Makiki with his maternal grandparents until graduating from Punahou School, apart from four years in Indonesia with his mother and stepfather.

Palolo and Kaimuki are neighborhoods east of Manoa and Makiki, inland from Diamond Head. Palolo Valley parallels Manoa and is a residential neighborhood. Kaimuki is primarily a residential neighborhood with a commercial strip centered on Waialae Avenue running behind Diamond Head. Chaminade University is located in Kaimuki.

Waialae and Kahala are upper-class districts of Honolulu located directly east of Diamond Head, where there are many high-priced homes. Also found in these neighborhoods are the Waialae Country Club and the five-star Kahala Hotel & Resort.

East Honolulu includes the residential communities of ʻĀina Haina, Niu Valley, and Hawaiʻi Kai. These are considered upper-middle-class neighborhoods. The upscale gated communities of Waiʻalae ʻiki and Hawaiʻi Loa Ridge are also located here.

Kalihi and Palama are working-class neighborhoods with a number of government housing developments. Lower Kalihi, toward the ocean, is a light-industrial district.

Demographics

2010 Census data

The population of Honolulu was 390,738 according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Of 390,738 residents, 192,781 (49.3%) are male and 197,957 (50.7%) are female. The median age for males was 40.5 and 43.5 for females; the overall median age was 41.9. Approximately 84.2% of the total population was 16 years and over; 82.1% were 18 years and over, 78.5% were 21 years and over, 21.8% were 62 years and over, and 18.1% were 65 years and over.

In terms of race and ethnicity, 19.5% (76,145 residents) were White, 1.5% (5,718 residents) were Black or African American, 0.2% (834 residents) were American Indian or Alaska Native, 53.7% (209,747 residents) were Asian, 7.6% (29,744 residents) were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 0.8% (3,270 residents) were from Some Other Race, and 16.7% (65,250 residents) were from Two or More Races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 5.3% (20,883 residents) of the population.

Asian Americans represent the majority of Honolulu's population. Japanese Americans represent 20.6% (80,514) of the population; Filipino Americans represent 11.8% (45,965) of the population. Chinese American made up 10.3% of the population and numbered at 40,101 individuals. Native Hawaiians made up just 3.1% of the population and numbered at 12,017 individuals. There were 5,188 Samoan Americans whom made up 1.3% of the population. People of Guamanian or Chamorro descent made up 0.2% of the population and numbered at just 917 residents.[27]

Common race combinations for those of more than one race include those who reported themselves as White and Asian (18,348), White and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (6,106), Asian and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (13,527), and those who are White, Asian, and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (15,204).[28]

Economy

The largest city and airport in the Hawaiian Islands, Honolulu acts as a natural gateway to the islands' large tourism industry, which brings millions of visitors and contributes $10 billion annually to the local economy.[29] Honolulu's location in the Pacific also makes it a large business and trading hub, particularly between the East and the West. Other important aspects of the city's economy include military defense, research and development, and manufacturing.[29]

Since the housing collapse, Honolulu has faced a decrease in its rent of about 3.4%, but has recently evened out. This stands in relation with the national average of a 4% decrease in rent.[37]

Since no national bank chains have any branches in Hawaii, many visitors and new residents use different banks. First Hawaiian Bank is the largest and oldest bank in Hawaii and their headquarters are at the First Hawaiian Center, the tallest building in the State of Hawaii.

Transportation

Air

Located on the western end of the CDP, Honolulu International Airport (HNL) is the principal aviation gateway to the state of Hawaii. Kalaeloa Airport is primarily a commuter facility used by unscheduled air taxis, general aviation and transient and locally-based military aircraft.

Interstate H-201—also known as the Moanalua Freeway and sometimes numbered as its former number, Hawaii State Rte. 78—connects two points along H-1: at Aloha Stadium and Fort Shafter. Close to H-1 and Aloha Stadium, H-201 has an exchange with the western terminus of Interstate H-3 to the windward side of Oahu (Kaneohe). This complex of connecting ramps, some directly between H-1 and H-3, is in Halawa.

Other major highways that link Honolulu proper with other parts of the Island of Oahu are:

Pali Highway, State Rte. 61, crosses north over the Koolau range via the Pali Tunnels to connect to Kailua and Kaneohe on the windward side of the Island.

Likelike Highway, State Rte. 63, also crosses the Koolau to Kaneohe via the Wilson Tunnels.

Kalanianaole Highway, State Rte. 72, runs eastward from Waialae/Kahala to Hawaii Kai and around the east end of the island to Waimanalo Beach.

Like most major American cities, the Honolulu metropolitan area experiences heavy traffic congestion during rush hours, especially to and from the western suburbs of Kapolei, Ewa, Aiea, Pearl City, Waipahu, and Mililani.

Public transport

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART)

In November 2010, voters approved a charter amendment to create a public transit authority to oversee the planning, construction, operation and future extensions to Honolulu's rail system (see below). Operations began on July 1, 2011. HART will have a 10-member board of directors that includes three members appointed by the mayor, three members selected by the Honolulu City Council, and the city and state transportation directors.[39]

Bus

Established by former Mayor Frank F. Fasi as the replacement for the Honolulu Rapid Transit Co. Ltd.(HRT), Honolulu's TheBus system has been twice honored by the American Public Transportation Association bestowing the title of "America's Best Transit System" for 1994–1995 and 2000–2001. TheBus operates 107 routes serving Honolulu and outlying areas on Oahu with a fleet of 531 buses, and is run by the non-profit corporation Oahu Transit Services in conjunction with the city Department of Transportation Services. Honolulu is ranked 4th for highest per-capita use of mass transit in the United States.[40]

Rail

Currently, there is no urban rail transit system in Honolulu, although electric street railways were operated in Honolulu by the Honolulu Rapid Transit Company Ltd. prior to World War II. Honolulu Ltd.'s predecessors were the Honolulu Rapid Transit and Land Company (began 1903) and Hawaiian Tramways (began 1888).[41] The City and County of Honolulu is currently constructing a 20miles transit line that will connect Honolulu with outlying suburban areas to the west of the city on the southwestern part of Oʻahu. The Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project is aimed at alleviating traffic congestion for Leeward Oʻahu commuters while being integral in the westward expansion of the metropolitan area. The project however has been criticized for its cost, delays and potential environmental impacts.

Visual arts

There are various institutions for the visual arts. The Honolulu Museum of Art is endowed with the largest collection of Asian and Western art in Hawaii. It also has the largest collection of Islamic art, housed at the Shangri La estate. The museum hosts a film and video program dedicated to arthouse and world cinema in the museum's Doris Duke Theatre, named for the museum's historic patroness Doris Duke.

Honolulu also annually holds the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF). It showcases some of the best films from producers all across the Pacific Rim and is the largest "East meets West" style film festival of its sort in the United States.

Public libraries

Hawaii State Public Library System operates public libraries. The Hawaii State Library in the CDP serves as the main library of the system,[47] while the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, also in the CDP, serves handicapped and blind people.[48]

Magin, Janis L. "Land deals could breathe new life into Moiliili." Pacific Business News. Sunday July 1, 2007. 1. Retrieved on October 5, 2011. "Dobelle at that time had even suggested moving the University of Hawaii system offices from the Manoa campus to office space in Moiliili, something the current administration is not actively considering."